So college pre-seasons are coming to an end, as teams begin to play regular season games. GK training has evolved now to working on the basics like shot-stopping, crosses and serves, playing with feet, and footwork.
Watch any GK training session and you will see a piece of equipment as prevalent as GK gloves.....the Cones. GK trainers use cones as obstacles and markers for GKs to improve footwork and quick feet. You'll see GKs bounding across, through and above cones before catching a shot or serve. You'll see GKs hopping side-to-side over cones before moving to catch a cross. You'll see GKs slalom-ing in and out of cone arrangements before dealing with a serve. Cones have become a staple of the GK trainer's equipment arsenal!
How did all of this start? Well, if you read this Blog regularly you would know that in 1974 Bayern Munich and Germany GKing legend Sepp Maier was a nationally ranked amateur tennis player in Germany in addition to being the best GK in the world at that time. Maier, who by the way has been a 'Reusch Man' forever, sort of invented and perfected the art of 'running to the save'. Because of his exceptionally quick feet--thanks to tennis--Maier was able to cover a lot more ground in front of goal and around the penalty area. He began to change the position of GK way back in the '70s. Since then, footwork and running to the save have become increasingly more important in a GK's abilities. Maier was a superb technician and when he combined his footwork regimen with his agility training; he became a GK that was increasingly hard to beat. To this day, Maier is a GK trainer at Bayern Munich and of course is a living legend at the Club. So, all of that footwork torture that your GK Coach puts you through can be traced--maybe even 'blamed on'--Sepp Maier. Yeah, it's hard, and it wears you out; but it's worth it in the long run. It makes you a better GK! Of course, you could always take up tennis--WHICH YOU SHOULD, by the way--to constantly improve your footwork and overall quickness.
May the ground beneath your dive be soft; may your opponents always shoot right at you; and may your goalposts always be 3 feet wide. Good luck and Keep 'Keepin'!
OH, and by the way, 'Google' Sepp Maier. A legend.
All the Best--EV
Watch any GK training session and you will see a piece of equipment as prevalent as GK gloves.....the Cones. GK trainers use cones as obstacles and markers for GKs to improve footwork and quick feet. You'll see GKs bounding across, through and above cones before catching a shot or serve. You'll see GKs hopping side-to-side over cones before moving to catch a cross. You'll see GKs slalom-ing in and out of cone arrangements before dealing with a serve. Cones have become a staple of the GK trainer's equipment arsenal!
How did all of this start? Well, if you read this Blog regularly you would know that in 1974 Bayern Munich and Germany GKing legend Sepp Maier was a nationally ranked amateur tennis player in Germany in addition to being the best GK in the world at that time. Maier, who by the way has been a 'Reusch Man' forever, sort of invented and perfected the art of 'running to the save'. Because of his exceptionally quick feet--thanks to tennis--Maier was able to cover a lot more ground in front of goal and around the penalty area. He began to change the position of GK way back in the '70s. Since then, footwork and running to the save have become increasingly more important in a GK's abilities. Maier was a superb technician and when he combined his footwork regimen with his agility training; he became a GK that was increasingly hard to beat. To this day, Maier is a GK trainer at Bayern Munich and of course is a living legend at the Club. So, all of that footwork torture that your GK Coach puts you through can be traced--maybe even 'blamed on'--Sepp Maier. Yeah, it's hard, and it wears you out; but it's worth it in the long run. It makes you a better GK! Of course, you could always take up tennis--WHICH YOU SHOULD, by the way--to constantly improve your footwork and overall quickness.
May the ground beneath your dive be soft; may your opponents always shoot right at you; and may your goalposts always be 3 feet wide. Good luck and Keep 'Keepin'!
OH, and by the way, 'Google' Sepp Maier. A legend.
All the Best--EV